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A Dhaka court has withdrawn from the verdict list a case against Rana Plaza owner Sohel Rana and seven others over alleged negligence in the building’s construction and fixed October 6 for further arguments.
Dhaka Divisional Special Judge BM Tariqul Kabir was scheduled to deliver the verdict on Tuesday (September 1). However, the judge withdrew the case on his own initiative and set a new date for hearing further arguments, court officials said.
Ariful Islam, a bench assistant to the court, confirmed the development and said none of the parties had applied to reopen the case for arguments.
The other accused are former Savar municipal mayor Refat Ullah, former CEO Uttam Kumar Roy, executive engineer Rafiqul Islam, former assistant engineer Mahbubur Rahman, former sub-assistant engineer Rakibul Hasan Russell, former town planner Farzana Islam and licensing inspector Md Abdul Mottalib.
Sohel Rana, who is on bail in the case, remains in jail in a separate murder case and was brought to court from prison on Tuesday. Mahbubur Rahman and Farzana Islam have been absconding, while the other accused are out on bail.
Rana Plaza, an eight-storey building near Savar bus stand, collapsed on April 24, 2013, killing more than 1,130 people and injuring over 1,500 others.
The Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case in 2014, alleging that the building had been constructed in violation of its approved design and that garment factories were later allowed to operate there.
Charges were framed against 10 people in May 2017, but eight were later discharged. Of the 20 prosecution witnesses, 19 have testified so far.
The court had earlier set August 16 for the verdict but postponed it after it was not ready within the stipulated timeframe, later fixing September 1 as the new date.